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OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
(for immediate release – Saturday, September 29, 2007)
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Gov. Togiola signs Fiscal Year 2008 Budget : $304,373,000
(UTULEI) – Governor Togiola Tulafono today signed the American Samoa Government (ASG) Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 budget of $304,373,000.
Governor Togiola said, in a letter today to the Fono leadership, the budget bill for ASG operations in FY 2008 was weighed and measured through input from budget authorities, and includes a list of line items objected to by the Governor.
“While the funding of Fono operations is an important part of the budget, I must remind you that every single branch of the government, every semi-autonomous agency and every Executive department deals, year in and year out, with the very same pressures that exist in the Legislative branch,” said Governor Togiola. “These pressures are nothing new to any branch or department in our government.”
Governor Togiola noted that almost all of the amounts that were removed from other proposed Special Programs for funding Fono operations and programs have been vetoed.
The vetoed line items include funding for the Senate/House Investigative Committees, Legislature Materials and Supplies, and the All Others category for the Legislature. Also vetoed is a line-item part or portion, which is characterized as an “earmark” that appears on the bill.
“As you are no doubt aware, the monies that are available under ASPA’s budget were separate and distinct from the line item for Street Lights that was listed under Special Programs,” said Governor Togiola. “As you will also note, I have left the portion for Legislature Travel intact. Wherever specific items, parts and portions were vetoed, all subsequent amounts have been adjusted accordingly.”
Governor Togiola expressed his gratitude to the Fono leadership and members of the American Samoa Legislature for their work on the 2008 Budget Bill.
“I wish to thank and congratulate all the legislators for their hard work and also working together to meet our responsibility for our people and our government,” said Governor Togiola.
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